Wearable PC stars in a Silicon Valley scandal involving Google co-founder. Say, Sergey, how do you feel about privacy now?

InfoWorld|Aug 30, 2013

We live in serious times. We're on the cusp of yet another war in the Middle East. Each day brings new stories about how national intelligence agencies are demolishing what's left of our private lives while delivering very little actionable intelligence. Chinese and Syrian hackers are attacking our most cherished media institutions. The gulf between rich and poor has never been greater, our schools are a shambles, and the quality of life for most of us is deteriorating while our politicians seem to be operating in an alternate reality.

But let's forget all that for a moment and focus on something more important: A soap opera is unfolding in Silicon Valley, and it's a doozy.

The common notion is that all people at the Googleplex do is work work work, 24/7/365, interrupted by occasional Segway rides to the closest gourmet buffet. That myth is about to be dispelled in a big way. It appears that Sergey Brin is smack dab in the middle of what some are calling a "love quadrangle." Here's the story so far.

So far, no scandal. Well, it turns out the 40-year-old Brin has apparently been playing Google Doodles with Amanda Rosenberg, a 26-year-old marketing manager for Google Glass often photographed wearing same. (She apparently is the one who came up with the phrase "OK Glass" to activate the dingus. You can thank and/or revile her later.)

Now Google's embroiled in a controversy that has nothing to do with its insatiable appetite for all of our data, and Brin's private life is buttered all over the InterWebs. Welcome to the club, Sergey.

I don't normally like to make light of one's personal struggles (we've all been there), but when you're a $22 billion magnate who's decided to change the world in ways that may or may not be evil, depending on your mood, it comes with the territory. Consider it a power and influence tax.

Hence the venture into TMZ territory that this blog, along with many other tech media sources, is now taking. Hey, it beats talking about a twerking Miley Cyrus or whatever oversweetened concoction they're naming the next Android after.